Electric laundry-iron.



E. H. RICHARDSON; ELECTRIC LAUNDRY IRON.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 11, 1909.

956, 1 74. Patented Apr. 26, 1910.

im E. EICHARDSON-O ONTARIO,

entrenan. Assmann ro merrie marmo HEATING COI'PANY, 0F ONTARIO, CALIFORNIA, A COBOBAIOVN 0F CALIFORNIA.

ELECTRIC LAUNDRY-IRON.

Specification of Letters latent.

Patented Apr.` 26, 1.910.

Application led June 11, 1909. Serial No. 501,658.

To all whom 'it may concern: 4

Be it known that LEARL H. RICHARDSON,

l a citizen of. the UnitedStates, residing at Ontario, in the county of San Bernardino and State-of California, have invented a new and useful Electric Laundry-Iron, of

which the following is a specification.

This invention relates tov electric laundry irons and the main objects of the invention are to provide a laundry iron which may be 'economically constructed and to secure in such economical construction. an iron having an efficiency equal to those of more expensive construction. f

A further object is to provide a novel construction for imparting a relatively greater heat to the toe portion and heel of the iron than to the central part of the iron. yIn a previous patent ofmine, No. 809,529, January 9, 1906, I secured this specific distribution of heat above mentioned by means of a pair of wire-wound cores, the front ends of which were located in the toe of the iron,

the cores diverging toward the rear of the iron. But inthe present invention I dispense with the; wire-wound cores and employ. a different form of heating element and at the same time provide a special construction wherebyA the heat produced by the heating unit is distributed in a definite manner and conducted to precisely determined locations in the iron, diverting the heat from other portions, thereby im arting relatively greater heat to those speci c portions of the iron which require the greatest heat, namely, the toe portion and corners of the heel.

A further object of the invention is to enable practically all the parts of the -iron to 'be constructed of sheet metal, thus securing economy and facility in constructionv and assemblage of parts, and attaining the necessary rigidity and stifness combined with great strength and durability.

Apfurther object is to so construct the iron that the heating element and lower part of the body are combined as one piece which may be detached from the remainder of the ironand thus shipped to any locality to replace a similar unit, the heating element of which niay'have burned out, thereby avoiding the detachment or replacement of the heating element alone which is an operation requiring skill, while any person can readily detach or attach the unit as herein form A further advantage of this is that express charges are minimized. Further, the heating element being permanently confined in the unit, is not visible or accessible even when the unit is detached, thereby preventiiigiany tampering therewith.

' eferring to the drawings: Figure 1 is a vertical longitudinal section through the iron. Fig. 2 is a section on line :v2-w Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a section on line :v3- Fig. 2. Fig. 4 is a rear elevation of the iron. Fig. 5 is a plan view of the rear portion.

The body .portion of the iron is formed of .sheet metal, for example, drawn steel, producing a hollow triangular shell 1 having a pointed toe 2, curved side walls 3, and a rear wall 4 with heel corners 4', the walls 3 and '4 being of even height except where the rear wall 4 is -formed with an upper extension 5, in which terminals 6 are rigidly secured and insulated therefrom by washers of insulating material v7 Terminal blades 8 are supported by the terminals 6 and are adapted to receive a connection plug 9.

Upon the bottom of the body 1 is a sheet of iiisulatin material 10, preferably thin mica, and lying upon the mica 10 is a coil of resistance 11 formed of ribbon wire, the lower ed es resting upon the mica 10 anda ribbon o mica 12 being wound between the coils of yribbon wire 11. The winding is so wound that it closely fits the side walls Sand rear wall 4 and forms a triangular space 13 in the center of the iron. One end 14 of the ribbon wire 11 is connected, as shown in Fig. 2, with one of the terminals G, while' the other end 15 of the ribbon wire extends from the inner coil and is carried up over the coil and connected with the other terminal 6, the end 15 being insulated as shown in Fig. 1. This heating element consisting of the coil of wire 11 is pressed firmly a inst the bottom of the iron by a distributing plate 16, which latter is secured to the bottom of the bod 1 by a post 17 which extends through e pressure plate and throu h the bottom, as clearly shown 1n Fig. 1, an is riveted and welded to both the bottom of the body and to the .distributing plate, thereby permanently combining the body portion, heating element, and distributing plate into virtually one piece or unit. A thin sheet of mica 10' is arranged-between the distributing plate and coil 11. The distributing late 16 is embossed with a longitudinal ri 18 which extends from the front ioc through the mica 10 end of the pressure plate to the post 17 where it mer es with two diverging ribs- 19 which exten to the corners. v Extending' rearwardly fromthe crotch of the diverging ribs 19 is a center rear rib 20. These ribs 18, 19, and 20 stitfen the distributing plate 16, while the rib 20 also acts as a channel to permit the end 15 of the ribbon w1re l1 to pass over the rear part of the coil to connect with its terminal 6.' The distributing plate 416 is so constructed that it has no contact with the body of the iron, exceptat the parts of the bodye to which a relatively greater heat is to imparted, the' pressure plate having a cut-away ortion 21 in each side, and a cut-away portion 22 in the rear, forming a toe portion 23 which contacts with the toe portion of the body 1,and rear contact portions 24 which contact with the rear corners of the body 1. The plate 16 performs various functions; first, as ameans. for holding the coil 11 in close contact with the bottom of the body 1 and preventing its displacement; second, as anelement for conducting or transmitting heat which it receives from the coil 11 and conveying such heat to the toe portion of the iron and the rear corners of the iron, the amount of heat so imparted depending upon the pressure between the plate 16 and the coil, and also upon the' size of the corner portions 23 and 24 which are in contact with the body 1; third, the distributing plate. acts as a medium for seeurin the superposed parts of the iron, as will e described; and fourth, the distributing plate acts to brace and stili'en the bottom and body of the iron, which being of sheet metal, would otherwise warp out of shape on account of the heat. Without stifening means of some kind the sheet metal bottom would' not be practicable. The corner portions 23 and 24 of the pressure plate which contact with the body -1 are welded to the body, thereby further bracing and stili'ening the body. This maintains pressure of the Adistributing plate against. the heatin element, but is designed more lespecially or deliveringt-he heat from the distributing plate into the corners of the iron. The intimacy ofcontact between the corners 23 and 24 with the shell ofthe iron, mainly determines the amount of heat de- `livered into the corners of the shell and when these corners are welded,th e contact is most ei'ectual.

Heat from the bottom of the coil 11 passes directly through the mica 10 to the bottom of the iron and heats the sides, front, and back hotter than the center'portion on account of the recess 13 in the center of the coil. Heat from the top of the coil 11 passes directly into the distributing plate 16 and the distributing plate conducts the heat to its toe portion 23 and heel portions 24 which in turn deliver the heat to the toe corner 2 and heel corners 4', thereby im arting relatively greater heat to the toe an heel corners than to the center of the iron.

25 is a sheet of asbestos arranged above the pressure plate 16, and a sheet metal cover 26 formed of drawn steel rests upon the top of the asbestos 25. The cover 26 is secured in position by two screw bolts 2i which pass through the asbestos 25 and are.

-tacle which is formed with two wings or brackets 33 which project over the top of the rear 'portion of the cover 26 and are riveted thereto, thus securing the plugy receptacle 32 to the cover. rlhe plugreceptacle 32 also serves as a stand for the iron, its rear wall being embossed near the top with a button 34 and near the bottom being embossed with two buttons 35, so that when the iron is tipped on end the buttons 34 and 35 will act as feet and prevent marring the support on which the iron is resting and also keep any heatfrom the support. This plug 'receptacle 32 has a closed bottom 36 which completely houses the terminals 6 and blades 8 and together with the rounded corners 37 prevents the goods which are being ironed from catching against the plug receptacle and stand. As clearly shown in Figs. 1, 3

and 4, the sides of the corners of the cover y 26 are rounded as at 38, thus producing a stiff rigid shell and presenting an attractive appearance, sharp edges which are undeslrable being thus elimlnated.

By loosening screws 27, the bottom portion of the iron which consists of asingle unit composed of the body portionl, heating unit 11, and distributing plate 16, may be removed4 easily by anyone, and the unit thus removed may be sent by express at minimum expense to the factory or vother place of supply and a similar unit sent in return which may be as easily attached by screwing in the screws 27. Thus, if a heating element bur-ns lout or otherwise becomes inoperative or inefficient, it is not necessary to detach the heating unit itself as heretofore has been required, and, moreover, as the heating unitv is permanently confined with and completely housed by the body 1 and distributing plate which is riveted and welded thereto, the heating element is not only invisible but inaccessible, and thus revents any tampering therewith. lt wil be noted that when the two screws 27 are reintended.

moved the iron comes apart as much as it is Thus, the present construction is one which prevents tam erin with the heating element and enab es t e replacement thereof more convenient and less expensive than heretofore. What I claim is: 1. A laundry iron comprising a hollow body, an* electric heating element in the body, a' distributing plate bearing against the heating element, `said distributmg plate making contact with said body at the corner portions only.

2. A laundry iron comprising a hollow body, an electric heating element in the body, a distributing plate bearing against the heating element, and having a projecting corner portion in close contact with the 3. A laundry iron'comprising a hollow body, an electric heating element in the body, a distributingL plate bearing against the heating element and having a pro] ectln l body,

rtion in each corner in close contact wi the body.-

4. A laundry iron comprising a hollow an electric heating element in the body, and a distributing plate bearing against the heating element and having corner portions welded to the body.

5. A laundry iron comprising a hollow body, an electric heating element in the body, a distributi plate formed with a center rib, Vand ri s diverging from the center rib, said vplate bearing against ther heating element, and means securing the distribut' plate tothe body.

6. A aundry iron comprising a .hollow body, .an electric .heating element in the body, a distributing plate bearing against the heating element and with its corners only in intimate contact with the body, and a post with its upper end riveted 1n the plate and its lower end riveted in the bottom of the body.

-7. A laundry iron comprising a hollow body, an lelectric heating element in the body, and means above the heating element and bearing against-the same for conductin'g heat from the heating element to corner portions only of the body.

,heatingelement in the body,

'8. In a laundry iron, a hollow bod a and a distri uting plate covering the heating element and permanently attached at its corners only to the body.

9. In a llaundry iron, a portion, a bail and handle, and a unit detac ably connected therewith said unit consisting of three eftements permanently secured to ther 'and comprising a body portion, a istributing plate, and a heatin element between the plate and body, sai heating element being housed by the plate and body;

10. In a laundry iron, a top portion, a bail and handle, and a`unit comprisi a distributing plate, a body portion, an a heatin element between the plate and body, said p ate, body portion, and heating element being permanently secured together, and screws passing through the bail and top portion and into the distributing plat-e for securing said unit to the top portion.

11. In a laundry iron, a hollow top portion, a hollow body portion, a heating element on the bottom of the body portion, a d istributin plate over the heatin element and secured the top portion.

12. As a new article of manufacture, a

body portion for an electric laundry iron comprising a triangular shell formed of drawn steel and having araised extension on its back wall.

13. As a new article of manufacture, a to ortion for an electric laundry iron comprismg a triangular shell of drawn steel, the side walls and toe being rounded forming dished walls.

14. As a new article of manufacture, a top portion for an electric laundry iron comprising a triangular shell of drawn steel, the side walls and toe being rounded forming dished walls, the rear wall having a inits bottom edge.

` 15. As a new articleof manufacture, a distributing late com rising a substantially triangu ar piece o sheet metal formed with-'a projecting portion in each corner.

,16. Asa new article of manufacture, a distributing late com rising a substantially triangu ar piece o sheet metal formed with a proecting rtion in each corner, an having a o itu inal rib cand ribs diverging from the on itudinal rib.

17. In a laun ry iron, ilat coil of resistance wire on the bottom of the bod a distributing plate bearing a ainst -t e coil and having a rib forming a c annel in its bottom face, .terminals on the body, a wire from the inner end of the coil extending through said channel and connected to one terminal, the outer end of the coil being connected vto the other terminal.

lIn testimony whereof I have hereunto set m hand at ontario caiifomia this 1st day o June 1909.

EARL H. RIcHARDsoN.

to the body, and a weig t within a hollow body, a 

